Department for Transport

Shipping: Energy Supply

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to UK ports to develop their shore power facilities.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Shore power has a role to play in immediately reducing emissions from vessels visiting ports. Shore-side low and zero carbon fuelling, including bunkering of such fuels, are in scope of the £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, which will fund feasibility studies and initial technology trials, to support the transition to zero emission shipping and cleaner, greener ports. As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published on 14 July, we will consult in winter 2021 on how Government can support the wider deployment of shore power, including consideration of regulatory interventions, for both vessels and ports, that could drive deployment as we transition to a net zero world, and bring forward appropriate measures.

Electric Scooters: Regulation

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulateuse of e-scooters, including compulsory insurance cover on their use.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is running trials of rental e-scooters to assess their safety and wider impacts. Some 32 trials are underway and will run across the year, with final trial schemes due to conclude by 31 March 2022. The evidence gathered during the trials will inform whether e-scooters should be legalised in the future and how we can ensure their use is as safe as possible. Until we have that evidence, we do not want to speculate on the future legal status of e-scooters or on specific issues like insurance.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions and Speed Limits

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they use to inform policy about vehicle (1) speed limits, and (2) emissions; and what assessment they have made of the emissions levels of (a) petrol, and (b) diesel, vehicles between 1,000–3,000cc travelling at a constant speed of 20mph in (i) first gear, (ii) second gear, (iii) third gear, (iv) fourth gear, (v) fifth gear, and (vi) sixth gear.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The aim of speed management is to deliver a balance between safety objectives for all road users and mobility objectives, to ensure efficient travel, as well as environmental and community outcomes. The Department has published guidance designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and conditions.The regulatory emissions tests for type approval of new vehicles are conducted under dynamic rather than constant speeds in order to be more representative of real-world use. The Department does not have specific results for the situations outlined. Transport emission factors are used within the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory to provide information on the emissions of vehicle fleets based upon factors such as their average speed, fuel type and engine capacity. These are also used within the Emissions Factor Toolkit, published by DEFRA, to assist local authorities carrying out assessment of local air quality.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Recruitment

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with (1) road hauliers, and (2) the devolved administrations, about the recruitment of additional HGV drivers across the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We communicate with the road haulage industry regularly and have recently held additional weekly stakeholder meetings to communicate and engage with proposals, some of which centre on the recruitment of HGV drivers. The Government is actively considering the suggestions put forward by hauliers and continues to support industry in recruiting domestic drivers where appropriate.We have engaged with devolved administrations through cross-Government discussions, which involves topics such as the situation on the recruitment of HGV drivers.

Public Transport: Protective Clothing

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidance to transport operators whose services cross the border between England and Scotland in relation to the different policies on COVID-related mask-wearing in the two countries.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Guidance for transport operators is now available on GOV.UK to reflect step 4 changes. Operators are advised to make to themselves aware of any changes in rules when providing services that cross the border from England into one of the other UK nations and where possible to communicate this to passengers. Links to the rules for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are included in the operator guidance. Passengers are also advised to make themselves aware of any rule changes when travelling from England to another of the UK nations.

Transport for London: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce a long-term funding deal for Transport for London to support a return to work in London.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The third extraordinary funding package has been agreed with Transport for London (TfL) covering the period to 11 December 2021, to give time to better understand future demand. The Government is supporting TfL as they deliver on the conditions attached to this funding package and as we work towards a possible longer-term funding agreement which all sides could support.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support immunocompromised or immunosuppressed people, who are not protected by the COVID-19 vaccines and are clinically extremely vulnerable to the virus, to protect themselves after 19 July.

Lord Bethell: Guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals, 19 July guidance on protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19, was published on 12 July and is available in an online only format. The guidance outlines support for all clinically extremely vulnerable people, including those who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. Available support includes the NHS Volunteer Responders service and a range of mental health and wellbeing support. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is available until 30 September and local councils may be able to provide additional support. If concerned, an individual’s general practitioner practice or specialist can provide them with personalised advice on any additional precautions they should take.In addition, immunocompromised individuals are a priority cohort for research into therapeutic and prophylaxis treatments such as monoclonal antibody therapies, novel antivirals and repurposed compounds.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussionsthey have had with the devolved governments about a common approach to the vaccination of people working in care and nursing homes.

Lord Bethell: The Government has had regular meetings with the devolved administrations since April 2021 to discuss the policy of making vaccination a condition of deployment in care homes in England. The devolved administrations are able to choose whether to adopt a similar policy.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been told to isolate through the NHS Track and Trace app only to (1) show no symptoms, and (2) not need hospitalisation.

Lord Bethell: The NHS COVID-19 app cannot be used to identify users, whether they showed symptoms or were hospitalised.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Conduct Select Committee (HL): Public Appointments

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker when the terms of appointment for each member of the Conduct Committee will expire.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The terms of the five peers on the Committee are due to end in January 2022, though the Committee is considering seeking extensions for some of them in order to ensure continuity by staggering departure dates. The terms of the four current lay members will expire in July 2023. The lay members may be reappointed for one further three year term.

Conduct Select Committee (HL)

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what are the total costs of (1) the meetings, (2) the production of reports, and (3) other activities, of the Conduct Committee in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Committee’s costs cannot be disaggregated from staff, member and publishing costs in this way, except for the lay members’ claims which amounted to £38,250 in financial year 2020–21.

Conduct Select Committee (HL)

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what (1) qualifications, and (2) experience, in (a) human resources, (b) parliamentary procedure, and (c) bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct, the lay members of the Conduct Committee have.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The lay members of the Conduct Committee were not required to demonstrate specific qualifications or experience in any particular field, and the Committee had no preconceptions as to their professional backgrounds. Candidates were asked to demonstrate senior level experience in a complex organisation in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors; excellent analytical and decision-making skills; and personal qualities such as assertiveness and resilience. The biographies of the four lay members were circulated to members of the House at the time of their appointment, and collectively they bring a diversity of experience and an independent perspective to the work of the Committee.

Conduct Select Committee (HL): Recruitment

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the recruitment process for the lay members of the Conduct Committee; how many people applied for each lay member vacancy; who conducted the interviews for these positions; and what remuneration the lay members receive.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: I have consulted the Chair of the Conduct Committee in preparing this answer.The four lay members of the Conduct Committee were appointed following an open and rigorous recruitment process. In common with other senior, lay member or non-executive positions, the House engaged a recruitment consultancy to conduct a search and initial sift of candidates. A total of 322 candidates were identified through this process. Of these, 12 were invited to interview by a panel consisting of two members of the Conduct Committee (Lord Mance, Chair, and Baroness Anelay of St Johns), the then Clerk of the Journals and two external members (Sheila Drew Smith and Emily Jackson), with the four top-ranked candidates accepting the offer of appointment. Lay members are remunerated at the rate of £600 per eight hour day.

Conduct Select Committee (HL)

Lord Marlesford: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the four members of the House of Lords Conduct Committee who are not Members of the House of Lords have full voting rights in any vote of that Committee which involves (1) the culpability of a Member of the House of Lords being investigated, and (2) the decision as to any penalty on a Member of the House, to be reported for the approval of the House; and to which other Select Committees of the House similar voting rights apply to any outside members of such committees.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Following a consultation exercise and a lengthy debate on 30 April 2019, the House agreed that the lay members of the Conduct Committee should have full voting rights in order to bring a measure of independence to the conduct process. The House has not to date conferred voting rights on external members of other committees. In the House of Commons, the lay members of the Standards Committee (of which there are seven, alongside the seven MPs) have full voting rights, and the Independent Expert Panel which determines appeals and sanctions in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct is made up entirely of external members.

Question

Lord Grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  following the recent hereditary peers by-electionafter the retirement of Lord Elton, how many peers (1) were entitled to vote, (2) voted; how many ballot papers were spoilt; and what the percentage turnout was.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The details of the by-election to replace Lord Elton are as follows:Vacancy Created By:Number of Members eligible to vote:Number of Members who voted:Number of spoiled ballot papers:Percentage turnout:Lord Elton785237030%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Persecution of Christians Across the Globe Independent Review

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief is being adequately resourced and supported in relation (1) to her role in implementing the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 8 July 2019, and (2) to enabling the planning and delivery of the international ministerial conference on freedom of religion or belief in 2022.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has committed to implementing in full the recommendations in the Bishop of Truro's review, and work continues to implement them in a way that will bring real improvement to the lives of those persecuted due to their faith or belief. Of the 22 recommendations we have fully delivered ten, made good progress on a further eight, and are confident that all 22 will be delivered by the time of the independent review in 2022.I [Lord Ahmad] meet monthly with the Envoy to discuss freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) activity. The Envoy also works closely with FCDO Ministers in promoting FoRB in their respective geographic areas, and through her Private Secretary in the FCDO, with support from the FCDO FoRB team and other officials on specific aspects of her role, as well as the FCDO media office and Special Advisers. Geographic and thematic policy desks have the opportunity to feed in to policy recommendations and offer advice on activities. We have committed to holding a Ministerial conference on FoRB, which will bring countries together to make global progress on this important issue.

Tigray: Arrests and War Crimes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) media reports detailing the arrest of Tigrayans in parts of Ethiopia, (2) the conditions in which arrested Tigrayans are being held, and (3) reports that thousands of Tigrayans have been sent to Eritrea where they are subject to atrocity crimes; and what representations they have made to the government of Ethiopia on the situation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Recent arrests of Tigrayans in Addis Ababa and elsewhere in Ethiopia are extremely worrying, and discrimination against or targeting of any group is unacceptable. The UK is following the situation closely. We have consistently raised the importance of respect for human rights throughout this conflict, and will raise these concerns directly with the Government of Ethiopia.

Developing Countries

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the development of a long term international development strategy; whether such a strategy will build on the approach and priorities outlined in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy; how a strategy will relate to the Sustainable Development Goals; what consultation on a strategy (1) has been, or (2) will be, undertaken with stakeholders; and what timetable has been established for its implementation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary is leading work on the new International Development Strategy, which will be cross-government in scope. The International Development Strategy will set out the UK's approach to development, in line with the Integrated Review. It will refer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FCDO officials will be engaging with external stakeholders on the development of the strategy. This will build on the extensive engagement and call for evidence that was undertaken to inform the Integrated Review. We intend to publish the strategy later this year.

China: India

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the deployment of tens of thousands of Chinese troops to the disputed border with India in Ladakh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We continue to support a peaceful resolution of border issues between India and China, which are a bilateral matter. We welcome ongoing discussions between India and China aimed at reducing tension along the Line of Actual Control.

Religious Freedom

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the findings of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 8 July 2019, what plans they have to conduct a review into persecution on the basis of religion or belief (1) globally, and (2) in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has committed to implementing in full the recommendations in the Bishop of Truro's review, which was commissioned by the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. Work continues to implement them in a way that will bring real improvement to the lives of those persecuted due to their faith or belief. Of the 22 recommendations we have fully delivered ten, made good progress on a further eight, and are confident that all 22 will be delivered by the time of the independent review in 2022.Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a priority in the FCDO's multilateral work. It was a key strand of the UK's successful campaign to be re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council. As part of our longstanding and continuing work, we advocate for countries to appoint FoRB Envoys. The Government is currently considering how the recommendation on the scale of persecution can be implemented in a way that delivers and supports the work we are doing globally to address the challenges faced by religious minorities. We will commission an independent review into the recommendations in good time to take place at the completion of the three-year implementation period.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence: Staff

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officials are working on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the (1) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and (2) the Ministry of Defence.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As stated in my reply of 6 July, officials in the FDCO and MOD, centrally and across the global network, work collectively to deliver strategic outcomes as part of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and wider work. Given the breadth of the WPS agenda and global focus, information on the number of officials working on this issue is not held centrally.

Ministry of Defence

Army: Northern Ireland

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of Army applicants are from residents of Northern Ireland.

Baroness Goldie: The percentage of Regular Army applications in the calendar year 2020 which provided a Northern Ireland residence as the home address was 1.8%. This figure has been provided by Analysis Army and has been defined as an online application submitted by an individual and accepted by the Defence Recruitment System.

Shipbuilding: Environment Protection

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investment they are providing to support the growth of green shipbuilding in the UK.

Baroness Goldie: The Secretary of State for Defence, in his role as Shipbuilding Tsar, is working across Government to support the shipbuilding enterprise. The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh will set out our comprehensive support for green shipbuilding, which offers a significant opportunity for driving the renaissance of the sector.On 22 March 2021 the Department for Transport launched the £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, which has now closed. This will fund feasibility studies and initial technology trials in clean maritime technologies including green shipbuilding, placing the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vessels.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the decision by the government of France to withdraw more than 2000 troops from the Sahel for the British forces sent to Mali last year, including any plans to (1) increase the UK presence, or to (2) withdraw our military presence.

Baroness Goldie: The UK is in contact with our French partners on their planned changes to operations in the Sahel; we have had assurances France will retain the key enablers which allow the UK to effectively contribute to operations in the Sahel. Through our recent deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and our programmatic support for stabilisation and conflict resolution, the UK is committed to building peace and stability in the Sahel. We also use our humanitarian assistance to support those most affected by conflict. While military commitments remain under constant review, there are no plans to change the UK presence in the Sahel at this time.

Sheffield Forgemasters

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to nationalise Sheffield Forgemasters; and what assessment they have made of the importance of Sheffield Forgemasters to the supply of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet.

Baroness Goldie: Sheffield Forgemasters is a strategic supplier to Defence; therefore, officials are in regular dialogue with company representatives. I have seen the media speculation about the company, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

COP26

Climate Change: Public Consultation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for public engagement on climate change mitigations ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in October–November.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Ahead of COP26 we have launched the Together for our Planet campaign to engage the public in the run-up to COP26 and celebrate the work people across the UK are doing to combat climate change. The campaign aims to drive awareness and create opportunities for people across the UK to participate in the run-up to COP26.The Together for our Planet campaign is building momentum in the lead up to COP26 by showcasing how people across the UK are going One Step Greener to tackle climate change. Our One Step Greener ‘Climate Leaders’ will show how much inspirational action on climate change is already taking place.As Presidency, we are committed to securing an outcome that respects and reflects the interests of all Parties, including those most impacted by climate change. We want to work with civil society to amplify the voices of those on the front line of climate change to deliver a truly ‘all of society’ and inclusive COP. Civil society organisations, with their links to on-the-ground communities and practitioners, are agents of change and their knowledge and leadership is necessary to deliver effective local solutions.

Home Office

Cybercrime

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to counter ransomware attacks against businesses (1) in the UK, and (2) in other Western countries.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government’s priority, working alongside law enforcement and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), is to do all we can to mitigate any harm to the UK from ransomware.The Home Office provides funding for cyber teams in Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) across England and Wales, to bolster the regional response to crime, provide protect advice to businesses and individuals, and to divert people vulnerable to cyber criminality.The NCSC as the UK’s technical authority for cyber threats, continually reviews its advice and guidance to reflect new trends and how individuals and organisations can protect themselves, as well as providing swift support to organisations which fall victim to ransomware attack.The National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) provides the focus for our national response to combating serious cyber criminals. It is using its operational resources to deliver arrests and disruption, using the NCA’s enhanced intelligence picture to target criminals where they are most vulnerable.The NCSC and NCA continue to monitor and respond to the cyber threat, including ransomware.The Government is working collaboratively with our international partners specifically the Five Eyes to address the ransomware threat.

Extinction Rebellion: Demonstrations

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the cost of policing Extinction Rebellion protests in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021; and whether any of those costs have been met by the organisers of the protests.

Lord Greenhalgh: The highly disruptive tactics used by some protesters cause a disproportionate impact on the surrounding communities and are a drain on public funds. The management of protests, including the tactics they use; their cost; and their resourcing, is an operational matter for the police. The PCSC Bill aims to allow the police to take a more proactive approach in managing highly disruptive protests and will increase the police’s ability to prevent protests causing serious disruption to the public,During Extinction Rebellion’s protests of April and October 2019, the Metropolitan Police Service reported that policing operations for the two extended protests cost around £37m - more than twice the annual budget of London's violent crime taskforce.The right to peaceful protest remains a fundamental tool of civic expression and will not be curtailed by this Government. Protesters are not charged for the costs of policing protests.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter signed by scientists published in The Lancet on 8 July, which calls the planned relaxation of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic on 19 July a “dangerous and unethical experiment”.

Lord True: On Monday 12 July, the Prime Minister confirmed that the Government’s four tests for easing COVID-19 restrictions had been met and England proceeded to Step 4 of the roadmap on Monday 19 July. A range of data was considered, including from Public Health England, the NHS, and the ONS, as well as modelling from SAGE, to inform this decision. In June, the move to Step 4 was delayed by four weeks so more adults could be vaccinated, and more than 7 million vaccines were administered during this period.The Government will continue to monitor the data on a regular basis to ensure there is no danger of the NHS facing unsustainable pressure. The Government will maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant. Such measures would only be re-introduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Global Marine Group

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether  Global Marine Group is the only UK-based company that (1) lays, and (2) maintains, communications cables; and what discussions, if any, they have had with the firm about this capability.

Baroness Barran: Cable laying and operation is a global enterprise which includes UK-based companies. The Government has regular contact with the industry including Global Marine Group. The government understands that the US-owned Global Marine Group is the only UK-based company that can both lay and maintain subsea telecommunications cables.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of high-speed broadband in rural areas; what steps they are taking to ensure that such services provide the advertised performance; whether they will provide compensation for those who have been advised to replace their old service and install a new one where that service does not meet advertised standards; and what steps they intend to take to support customers experiencing ongoing issues.

Baroness Barran: Ofcom’s 2020 Connected Nations report shows that 99.4% of UK premises have access to decent broadband speeds (10 Mbps and over), and according to thinkbroadband.com (https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/uk) , 97% can get superfast speeds (24 Mbps and over). Ofcom’s 2021 report, UK Home Broadband Performance, which can be found here (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/telecoms-research/broadband-research/broadband-speeds/uk-home-broadband-performance-nov-2020) showed that the average superfast speeds in rural areas was 44.2 Mbps, compared to 48.6 Mbps in urban areas in 2020. In order to protect consumers, Ofcom has put in place voluntary broadband speeds Codes of Practice with industry, which can be viewed here (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/codes-of-practice). Signatories include BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk and Virgin Media. Those signed up to the Code of Practice are committed to having systems which can identify the cause of speed problems, and processes to ensure they are resolved. Furthermore, signatories must provide guaranteed minimum speeds to their customers, and if speeds drop below the promised levels, are required to improve performance within one month. If there is no improvement, consumers have the right to exit their contract without penalty. To ensure effectiveness of the code, Ofcom monitors compliance by the signatories, and where it finds issues, will engage with the provider to deliver prompt resolutions.

Broadband: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of OpenRAN (1) as part of their gigabit capable broad rollout, (2) in increasing connectivity to rural communities, and (3) in extending connectivity to rural ‘notspots’.

Baroness Barran: The Government continues to explore the role of interoperable technologies, such as Open RAN, in the future of our telecommunications networks as part of the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, published in November last year and here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-supply-chain-diversification-strategy/5g-supply-chain-diversification-strategy . Open RAN is still a nascent technology which promises efficiency and flexibility gains, and the Government is supporting its development as part of the telecoms diversification agenda, including through the £30m Future RAN Competition (FRANC). The Government is extending connectivity to rural areas - both mobile and full fibre. Project Gigabit recognises Fixed Wireless Access as a potential gigabit-capable technology, which can provide a broadband connection via infrastructure also used for mobile networks. Furthermore, the Shared Rural Network programme will bring 4G coverage to 95% of the UK by 2025 - including total not-spots. We expect Open RAN to play an ever larger role in 5G mobile networks and beyond; these technologies are capable of reaching gigabit speeds and may support the Government's ambition to connect at least 85% of UK premises to gigabit speeds by 2025. The Government also welcomed the news from Vodafone that it will be supplying large parts of Wales and the South West of England with Open RAN technology, and that deployment will start in rural areas.